Lesson xxxvi.] VOLCASOS. 27 3 



flame had also considerably decreased. These cir- 

 cumstances augmented our security, and supplied 

 us with the necessary confidence in traversing such 

 dangerous ground. We approached as near as ther 

 heat would permit, and we set fire to the sticks of 

 our guides in the lava, which slowly ran through 

 the hollows from the crater. The surface of this 

 inflamed matter nearly resembles metal in a state 

 of fusion j but as it flows, it carries a kind of scum, 

 which hardens as it cools, and then forms masses 

 of scoria, which dash against each other, and roll 

 all on fire, with noise, to the foot of the mountain. 

 Strong fumes of sulphuric acid gas arise in abun- 

 dance from these scoria, and by their caustic and 

 penetrating qualities render respiration difficult. 



" We seemed to be pretty secure in this situa- 

 tion, and were far from thinking of retiring, when 

 a frightful explosion, which launched into the air 

 fragments of burning rocks to the distance of 

 more than IOO toises, reminded us of the danger 

 to which we were exposed. None of us hesitated 

 a moment in embracing a retreat ; and in five mi- 

 nutes we cleared, in our descent, a space of grouud 

 which we had taken two hours to clim by 



" We had not reached the hermitage before a 

 noise more frightful than ever was heard; and the 

 Volcano, in all its fury, began to launch a mass 

 equal to some thousand can-loads of stones and 

 fragments of burning rocks, with a projectile forcQ 

 which it would be difficult to calculate. As the 

 projection was vertical, almost the whole of this 

 H 5 burning 



